Light in the Rain
by ninjanervana
Summary: When Sirius runs away from home, there's only one place he can go to: Potter Manor. James/Sirius friendship. Implied child abuse.
Oh look, yet another story that isn't the latest chapter for Christmas Secrets. I promise I'll get back to that story; I'm just having a bit of writers block at the moment and then I got the idea for this one-shot. How could I resist? I've got a few other one-shot story ideas bouncing around my head so they'll show up eventually. Hopefully you guys enjoy the story. I was inspired by the song Small Hands by Radical Face. Be sure to check out my other Marauders stories! And of course I own nothing

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Sirius never knew how cold it could be in the middle of summer until he was stuck in the pouring rain at midnight with nowhere to go. This wasn't a quick summer shower; this was a monsoon happening in July in London. Puddles of water pooled in every available area as the rain continued to pour down in buckets. The rain soaked through his clothes, pasting it to his skin, and probably through his backpack filled with his meager possessions as well. The only things protected from the downpour were the contents of his school trunk, which he dragged behind him.

 _'Well,'_ Sirius thought as he looked around the dark street, brushing his long hair out of his eyes. _'I'm loads better off sleeping on the street than I am back there. And the rain makes my back feel better so I guess that's good too.'_

As his waterlogged trainers squelched beneath his feet and he brushed his wet hair from his face yet again, he had to admit this probably wasn't his most thought-out plan. He knew he'd end up leaving 12 Grimmauld Place soon; it was only a matter of time, but he hadn't planned on leaving that night. He would have at least owl'd the boys so they knew what was going on. He had been walking for almost fifteen minutes and still had no idea where to go.

 _'If I can get to Diagon Alley, I can at least go to the Leaky Cauldron to sleep tonight,'_ he thought, pausing in the middle of the empty sidewalk. _'Now how do I get there? Can't Apparate, can't Floo.'_ He looked up at the sky as if it held the answer, shivering from the rain, when he was startled by a loud crack. He whipped out his wand, looking around for the source of the noise. He wouldn't be surprised if his parents came after him; Underage Magic laws be damned, he was not going back without a fight. He'd rather get locked up in Azkaban than go back.

After looking around without finding the source of the noise, Sirius turned back to look at the street. He was shocked to see a purple double-decker bus careening down the narrow street, coming to an abrupt stop in front of him. The bus doors swung open, revealing a portly, balding man with a dark mustache. "Welcome to the Knight Bus, transportation for stranded witches and wizards," the man greeted him. "I'm Michael McDonnell, at your service."

Sirius's eyes were wide with awe as he looked at the massive bus. He knew he was hoping for a miracle, but didn't expect to find one in the form of a bus. Part of him was sure he had hit his head earlier and it was causing hallucinations now. "I didn't-I didn't hail any bus," he said as his teeth began to chatter.

The man looked down at him, gesturing to Sirius's wand. "You held out your wand at the street corner, yeah?" he questioned, waiting for Sirius's nod before continuing. "Then you hailed the bus." He stepped out of the bus, grabbing hold of Sirius's trunk. "Let's get you out of the rain; you'll catch your death standing out there like that."

He followed the man onto the bus, his clothes drying as he stepped through the doors, though his body still felt chilled. "Where does the bus go?" he questioned as he looked around curiously. The bus was filled with beds, half of them containing bus riders. He was shocked to see some of them were actually sleeping.

"Wherever you need to go," Michael answered as he sat Sirius's trunk by an empty bed. "Where's home, lad?"

He snorted quietly; the last place he was going was back home. He was sure he'd get himself cursed into St. Mungo's, if not worse. Going to the Leaky Cauldron didn't seem as appealing as it had been when he stood out in the rain. _'Sirius Black, man without a home,'_ he thought bitterly. _'Only home I've got is Hogwarts, which I can't go to right now, and…'_ "Godric's Hollow," Sirius answered suddenly. "Potter Manor, that's home."

"Godric's Hollow, Ernie," Michael called over his shoulder before turning back to Sirius. "Might as well sit down then. It'll be about ten minutes to get there. Maybe less with Ernie's driving."

Sirius barely had the chance to sit down on the bed before the bus shot forward, weaving between cars and squeezing down narrow streets. The constant jerking of the bus made him nauseous; he was glad he never had the chance to eat dinner. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember eating at all that day. Closing his eyes only made him feel worse. He could barely tell where they were as the bus sped along, their surroundings blurring too much for him to make out any buildings or landscape.

"Want to buy any food, lad?" Michael asked, looking completely at ease as the bus squeezed between two cars. He unwrapped a sandwich of his own, taking a bite. "Bit late for food, but you might be hungry."

"No," he croaked, his stomach rolling at the thought of food. "I'll eat something later."

Michael nodded in understanding, "We'll be there in about two minutes."

' _Thank Merlin,'_ Sirius thought miserably. _'Haven't been this sick since we snuck into Honeyduke's cellar in third year.'_

"Godric's Hollow," Ernie announced as the bus finally jerked to a stop, Sirius nearly toppling to the ground.

Peering out the window, Sirius could see the twinkling lights of Potter Manor through the pouring rain. Even from a distance, the house looked warm and inviting, something he desperately needed at the moment. He sighed in relief as he pulled his trunk out, shuffling toward the doors. "Thanks for the ride," he said as he paid the driver. "Would have been walkin' for a while to get here."

"You'll have to make your way up the walk alone; the house has some strong wards around it," Michael replied. "Be sure to get yourself a cuppa tea after all that rain."

Sirius nodded, dragging his trunk off the bus. He felt a slight resistance as he stepped through the protective wards, pleased the Potters had left it open to them. He always knew the Potters liked him, but this really made him feel like family.

By the time he reached the front door, his clothes was soaked again, his hair plasted to his forehead. He raised his hand, knocking loudly; it was after one in the morning, but he was hoping someone would be awake to open the door for him. Some lights were on in the house, but it might only by the house elf.

He raised his hand to knock again when the front door swung open, a wand pointed at him. "Padfoot?" James said in surprise, his hazel eyes wide behind his wire-rimmed glasses. James was clad in his pajamas, looking more awake than Sirius had expected.

"Evenin' Prongs," Sirius replied, his teeth chattering as he smiled weakly. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

James sputtered momentarily before laughing, pulling Sirius into a hug. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?" he questioned, pulling back to look at Sirius. "You're soaked."

"Yes, well, it's raining outside," he retorted as he shut the door behind him, dropping his backpack onto the ground. "I left Grimmauld Place; they blasted me off the tapestry and everything."

"You what!" James exclaimed. "And you didn't think to send me an owl or anything so I knew to look out for you? Merlin, Sirius, I would have come for you or Mum and Dad would have. Can't imagine your folks were too thrilled about you leaving."

"That's putting it mildly. I didn't plan on leaving but one thing led to another and then I was out the door with my trunk and bag," he explained. He shoved his wet hair out of his eyes, his stomach in knots of nervousness. "Where's everyone?"

"Mum and Dad went to some Ministry party; probably won't be back until later," he answered.

Sirius shifted from one foot to the other, glancing down at his feet before looking back at his best friend. "I wondered if your parents would mind putting me up for the night," he said timidly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? The night? You're moving in with us," he said firmly.

"Prongs, I can't-"

"Oh shut up, you practically live here already. Mum would have a fit if you tried to go stay anywhere else. Besides, they like you more than they like me anyway so you're staying," James answered easily before turning away from him. "Hilly? If you're not busy, can you come here for a minute?"

A house elf came running out of the kitchen, nearly tripping over her feet in her eagerness. "You called Hilly, Master James? Oh Master Sirius is here too; Hilly is glad to see you again, sir."

Sirius smiled back at the house elf; she was always much nicer than the elves at Grimmauld Place. All they cared about was his horrible family and having their heads mounted on the wall when they died. "I'm glad to see you too, Hilly," he replied.

"Hilly, could you take Sirius's trunk upstairs to his room? He's moving in with us," James stated.

Hilly nodded vigorously. "Right away, Master James," she replied, levitating the trunk behind her as she hurried upstairs.

"Thanks, Hilly," he called after her. "You must be starved, mate. It's a long way from London to Godric's Hollow."

Sirius shook his head, a shiver going through his body. "I just need a shower and dry clothes."

"Oh right," James replied, grabbing Sirius's bag off the floor and slinging it onto his shoulder. "Come on; grab a shower and then you can tell me what happened and how you got here."

He nodded in agreement, following after James as they walked through the familiar house. While every corner of Grimmauld Place held a sad or angry memory, the Potters' home only held happy memories for him, memories of laughter and safety, of a family's love. For the first time since he had left Grimmauld Place, he could feel himself relaxing.

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Sirius dried his hair with a towel as he stepped out of the bathroom, yawning loudly. He felt considerably better after a hot shower, but his body still ached; he could probably sleep for two days straight and still wake up tired. _'Wonder if I can get Prongs to let me sleep that long,'_ he thought as he eyed the large bed in the room.

"Padfoot, open up; I've got food," James called from outside the bedroom door, distracting Sirius from his thoughts. "Put some pants on."

"I've got pants on already!" He opened the door, a weak smile on his lips. "I do enjoy good maid service," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, but I draw the line at wearing the skirt," James retorted, carrying a tray of tea and sandwiches into the room. "I know how you get around people with skirts on."

Sirius tossed his damp towel onto the back of a chair, moving to his trunk for a shirt. "It's for the best; no one wants to see your scrawny legs anyway."

"Hey, my legs are not-holy fuck, your back!" James shouted, nearly dropping the tray.

He glanced over his shoulder at his bare skin, knowing exactly what made James shout. His back was covered with black and blue bruises, mixed in with sickly yellow healing bruises. It was no surprise to James that the Blacks would lay hands on their son, but Sirius realized it was the first time James had seen the evidence first hand. "Looks worse than it feels," he said with feigned nonchalance.

"You look like you've been trampled by a pack of hippogriffs," James replied dryly as he set the tray on the bed. He frowned deeply as he watched his friend move around slowly. "Mum's gonna want to check them out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Sirius agreed as he pulled on his shirt, wincing slightly as the fabric rubbed against the bruises. "Now I'm starved and tired."

James chuckled, picking up his own sandwich. "Thought you weren't hungry?"

"Changed my mind," he replied as he plopped onto the bed beside James. "It's blood cold in here."

He shook his head as he bit into his sandwich. "It's you, mate," he mumbled around his food. "Probably getting sick."

"Perfect," Sirius mumbled as he bit into his food. "Don't have enough problems as it is."

The pair of boys ate in silence, finishing the plate of sandwiches within minutes. "So how did you get here?" James asked as he sat against the headboard beside Sirius. "If you had owl'd me, you could have Floo'd here."

"Didn't plan on leaving tonight," he replied tiredly, his arm over his eyes as he lay back against the pillows. Now that he was full, all he wanted to do was sleep. For a day, a week, a year, whatever he could get. He couldn't remember ever being so exhausted. Now that he knew he was safe, sleep was his top priority. "Had a big fight with the parents, worse than usual. So I just grabbed my stuff and left. I'm a disgrace to the Ancient and Noble house of Black after all, a blood traitor. No point in me hanging around where I'm not wanted. I got lucky the Knight Bus picked me up."

"The Knight Bus?" he said in surprise. "Dad's told me about it. How was it?"

Sirius laughed softly as he closed his eyes. "Mad. Absolutely mad. Absolutely brilliant. The bus is purple. Don't suggest doing it right after you eat or you'll throw everything up. Woulda enjoyed it on another night," he answered, his speech slowing.

"Maybe another time we can try it," James said, moving down the bed so he could lie against the pillows. "Pick up Remus and Peter with it."

"Wormy would definitely throw up," he chuckled. "I'm not sitting next to him."

James folded his arms beneath his head, staring up at the ceiling. "I expect they'll be over tomorrow once they hear about what happen."

Sirius groaned softly, "Moony is going to lecture me about not telling anyone I was leaving."

"And Peter and I will sit in the corner snickering," he chuckled, dimming the lamp beside the bed. "We want no part of that."

"Maybe I'll just sleep through his lecture," he yawned, rubbing his eyes tiredly before closing them again. "I'm so bloody tired."

James nodded in understanding, "Want me to leave you to sleep?"

Sirius's eyes opened quickly at his words, his body tense with anxiety. "Nah, you can hang around if you want," he replied as he tried to calm his racing heart. "Unless you want to go to bed."

"Not yet," he answered as he made himself comfortable. "I think I'll stay up a bit longer. Not every day that your best mate shows up on your doorstep in the middle of the night. You rest, I'll be here."

He nodded, his mind being pulled toward unconsciousness rapidly as he closed his eyes. "Thanks, Prongs," Sirius mumbled as he fell asleep.

"Anytime, Padfoot," James murmured. "Anytime."

* * *

When the house elf greeted Dorea and Charlus Potter at the front door, cheerfully informing them that Sirius Black had arrived two hours prior with a trunk of his belongings and James had declared that Sirius was moving in, the pair wasted no time hurrying upstairs to the bedrooms. James's bedroom door was open, revealing the empty bed, but the door next to his, the door that led to Sirius's room, was left open just a crack. They approached the door quietly, carefully easing it open.

"Oh Charlus," Dorea sighed softly as she took in the sleeping pair. The boys had fallen asleep on top of the blankets that covered the bed. James's arm was wrapped protectively around Sirius's shoulders, Sirius's body shifted toward his. "Look at our boys."

Charlus rubbed his wife's back gently as they watched the boys sleep. It seemed the only time they weren't causing mischief was when they were asleep. They could be troublesome, but they were always good kids. "You know we always did want to have more children," he whispered.

"And James always did want a brother. Sirius is already family," Dorea replied with a gentle smile. She approached the bed quietly, grabbing the blanket from the foot of the bed. She flicked it open, spreading it over the sleeping boys. She removed James's glasses, carefully setting them on the nightstand, before kissing his and Sirius's forehead.

Charlus held his hand out to his wife as she walked back over to him, kissing her lightly. "We'll have to talk to Sirius about what happened," he murmured.

Dorea nodded in agreement, leading her husband to the door. "Tomorrow," she agreed, glancing over her shoulder at the boys before closing it quietly. "Right now, our sons need rest."

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